Take the Strain Off Your Lower Back!

Find out how to correctly perform a hamstring stretch while laying down, and in the process possibly ease your lower back strain and /or pain.

Your hamstrings attach from your knee to your ishium (your butt bone). Therefore, when your hamstrings are tight, they can pull on your ishium which then pulls on your lower back, flattening it. This takes out the natural inward curve, which can be harmful to your lower back.

Hamstring Stretch Laying Down

Lay flat on your back.

Bend one leg up and put your hands behind that thigh. ( Or use a strap, as demonstrated in the video below) Position your thigh so it is perpendicular with the floor.

Straighten your leg until a stretch is felt in the back of your thigh. If you bend your toes up, you will also feel a stretch into your calf.

To make the stretch greater, pull your thigh to your chest.

Hold 20-30 seconds, repeat this hamstring exercise 3 times twice daily. Repeat on the other side.